THE BALFOUR DECLARATION'S COMEBACK!
By Tsvi Sadan (Israel Today News)
The love-hate relationship between the UK and Israel is well known.
One could dwell on the many setbacks of British policy toward the Jewish state.
The 1937 partition plan proposed by the Peel Commission, the infamous 1939 White Paper that restricted Jewish immigration to mandatory Palestine, and the present anti-Israel vitriolic from Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
These are sufficient examples of British hate toward the Israel.
But Britain has another side, the one that has produced the 1917 Balfour Declaration that proved foundational to the rebirth of the Jewish state.
Despite the many setbacks, the recent December 12 announcement by the British government that it is now adopting the 2005 US Department of State definition of antisemitism-"denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, and denying Israel the right to exist"-shows that the sentiments that gave rise to the Balfour Declaration are still well-embedded within British culture and politics.
Though received little attention in Israel, the UK's adoption of this new definition marks an important departure from the Labour Party's anti-Israel platform. As The Guardian reported, "Britain will become one of the first countries to use this definition of antisemitism ... to ensure that culprits will not be able to get away with being antisemitic because the term is ill-defined, or because different organizations or bodies have different interpretations of it."
One immediate result of this statement by Downing Street is its acceptance, reserved as it is, by the Labour Party.
Though she omitted the part that states that "denying Israel the right to exist" is an integral part of antisemitism's new definition, Corbyn's spokeswoman still made it clear that "Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party share the view that language or behaviour that displays hatred towards Jews is antisemitism, and is as repugnant and unacceptable as any other form of racism."
Britain under the leadership of Theresa May and America under the leadership of Donald Trump may prove to be the long awaited formidable power that will put an end to the legitimacy antisemitism receives from human rights organizations that are dangerously effective at disguising defamation as legitimate "criticism."
THE FIGHT AGAINST ANTI-ISRAEL UN RESOLUTION ISN'T OVER YET!
Arutz Sheva News
Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, says Israel must remain vigilant against constant attempts to harm the country at the UN.
The delay, perhaps indefinitely, of the UN Security Council vote on an Egyptian-sponsored resolution ordering Israel to cease all "settlement activity" does not mean that the struggle against anti-Israel resolutions at the UN intended to harm Jewish rights in Judea and Samaria is finished, according to Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon.
Egypt represents the Arab League on the Security Council, but the resolution was not Egypt's initiative, but the League's, complying with the request of the PA. Egypt delayed the vote at the request of President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
"We are still in the middle of a very complex process, a battle on multiple fronts." Danon told Arutz Sheva. This postponement is certainly important, but the fight is still not over. The Palestinian proposal is still going around and being discussed in the corridors of the UN. The Prime Minister leads the campaign in Jerusalem, while we work here in New York with the diplomats and delegations. We tell them the truth. This resolution is not good for Israel, the peace process, or even the Palestinians."
What response have you received to the proposed resolution?
"Many are waiting to hear the US position on the issue. There are many states which act in accordance with the US position, which has not yet been stated. Our expectation is that our good friend [the US] will veto it as it did in 2011."
Did you receive any indication on how the US intended to vote?
"There was no indication on this matter. This is also a result of the delay of the vote. The Americans are still examining the issue. We made it clear to the Americans that this is a sensitive period and that it is therefore important the US policy will continue as it has always been during this administration and the next administration. At this point a decision has not been made, and it should be made by the President himself. My guess is that the Americans will not rush to reveal their hand, unless they have to. They will reveal their hands only once they are confident that the issue will come up for a vote."
Would you say that the Egyptian resolution was dropped from the agenda altogether?
"There are discussions at the Arab League in Cairo at this time, where they discuss the resolution and the timetables. Everything is dynamic at the UN. A resolution can be submitted to the Security Council and discussed in just a few hours. We are prepared and are always on alert. It is clear that there are many attempts to harm us at the UN.
"I would like to point out that this resolution is a Palestinian and not an Egyptian resolution. Egypt is represented on the Security Council, but it was the Palestinians who formatted and promoted the resolution."
Danon noted that the PA is seeking a political victory over Israel before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. "This is a transition period between Presidents, and they are trying to take advantage of it. This is a biased, one-sided resolution, which affects the State of Israel and calls for the creation of mechanisms for a boycott of the settlements in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem. This is something we cannot accept and the American people would not accept."
Why would countries that support us on other issues turn their backs on us at the Security Council?
"Those countries subscribe to the mistaken theory that the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria is the cause of the conflict. I toured Maaleh Adumim a few days ago with 14 ambassadors. They could not believe that the city is a 'settlement.' In their eyes, a 'settlement' is a hill which was taken illegally from the Arabs. Once they were in Israel it changed their perception. Unfortunately Europe and other countries still approach the 'settlements' as the obstacle to peace."
David Hocking
HFT Connect
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